Inverters or converters are used routinely as a power supply for an arc welding operation to create a D.C. welding current passing through an arc welding gap. Since the output for arc welding is generally a D.C. current and the input is often an A.C. voltage, there is difficulty in maintaining a high power factor. The inverter can not operate from a continuous, wide input voltage range. The main advantage of working from a wide input voltage range is that the power source will be able to operate on universal input voltages. Conventional power sources operate from multiple input voltages by using a reconnection scheme. This reconnection scheme can either be accomplished manually or automatically. The problem with using a reconnection scheme is that the machines are designed to work optimally for a certain input voltage. Welding performance will diminish when the input voltage varies from the optimal. Also it is not realistic to build a machine with a reconnection scheme that will satisfy all of the voltage requirements around the world. The ability to operate from a continuous input voltage range is an advantage for engine driven power supplies used for welding. Further, the discontinuous nature of the input and output currents creates the need for substantial filtering, with the resulting cost and power loss. In addition, an inverter has certain constraints which will not allow accurate control of the D.C. current at the welding gap due to the need for controlled operation of the transformer, upon which the inverter is based. The constraints of an inverter power supply for use in arc welding demand added components and require a compromise between the electrical needs for the welding operation and the off-line input A.C. voltage.